FCAS partners move to next phase
A model of FCAS was unveiled at the 2019 Paris Air Show. (Photo: German MoD)
Tripartite agreement sets Phase 1B of NGWS/FCAS in motion.
The New Generation Weapon System/Future Combat Air System (NGWS/FCAS) programme is moving to its next phase, after the governments of France, Germany and Spain signed an agreement on 17 May.
Phase 1B aims to deliver a flight-capable fighter aircraft by 2027, ‘paving the way for an operational aircraft in 2040,’ French defence minister Florence Parly noted.
Negotiations between French procurement agency DGA, its Spanish counterpart DGAM and the German MoD ‘enabled a balanced agreement between the different partners to be reached for the next step in the demonstration phase of the programme’, the three governments announced in a joint statement.
‘The relevant government agreements are ready for national processes to be started for formal validation,’ they added.
The NGWS will be fully integrated with individual national combat air systems. It will comprise a New Generation Fighter, Remote Carriers and a Combat Cloud ‘designed to achieve information mastery’, the statement continued.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) [Spain]
More from Air Warfare
-
![How uncrewed rotary platforms are shaping approaches to contested logistics]()
How uncrewed rotary platforms are shaping approaches to contested logistics
Defence industry primes are working on an array of different platforms to meet the growing need for rotary uncrewed aerial vehicles to carry out future logistics missions.
-
![Eastern European helicopter modernisation could open doors for Western manufacturers]()
Eastern European helicopter modernisation could open doors for Western manufacturers
With some Eastern European countries already upgrading their helicopter fleets to incorporate Western technology, the region presents potential future opportunities for defence companies.
-
![UK E-7 Wedgetail delay down to a “technology issue”, as MoD grapples with slipping timelines]()
UK E-7 Wedgetail delay down to a “technology issue”, as MoD grapples with slipping timelines
The first of three E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, originally ordered in 2019, is now expected to be delivered to the RAF this year after multiple “difficulties”.
-
![Forecast $21.9 billion light attack and trainer opportunities up for grabs as Leonardo lines up M-346]()
Forecast $21.9 billion light attack and trainer opportunities up for grabs as Leonardo lines up M-346
The M-346 stands as a potential contender for various countries facing impending capability gaps due to ageing trainer aircraft, while it could also be selected as a cost-effective light fighter aircraft.
-
![US Air Force seeks capabilities to improve C3 for aircraft fleet and warfighters]()
US Air Force seeks capabilities to improve C3 for aircraft fleet and warfighters
The USAF published RFIs for enhancing its C3 capabilities after losing, in Operation Epic Fury, four aircraft in non-confrontational, unclear situations that could have been related to command, control and communication failures.
